Pro Football Weekly reported Thursday that "there's a lot more than meets the eye behind the recent re-signing of brawny OT Breno Giacomini" by the Seahawks this last week. (Yes, they used the adjective 'brawny', something I've been meaning to do for way too long. DAMN YOU PFW!). According to their report, the Giacomini signing is not for depth at all, but rather, they see him as their starting right tackle going into 2012.
Giacomini's contract is worth up to $7 million over two years, and as PFW reports, a team insider noted "There are probably a lot of people around the league wondering why they would spend that kind of money on a guy like him, but the Seahawks honestly feel they're lucky to be getting him so cheap."
This obviously begs the question - what of James Carpenter, the Seahawks first round pick that tore his ACL this season? Per that insider, "Basically it will be up to Carpenter to win back the starting job - at whatever point he's ready to go again."
Now, this is interesting information if it is in fact from a team insider, but really it's none too surprising. Pete Carroll routinely uses competition to motivate players and believes in it to the core. The signing of Giacomini and the money they gave him is a big wakeup call to Carpenter and should prove to keep him hungry, but it's no secret that Carpenter is likely going to start the year on PUP so this move by the Seahawks is, simply, logical. They want to start the year with a capable right tackle and that's something the Breno proved he could be last season.
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